Therapeutic Indication

What is Oslif Breezhaler?

Oslif Breezhaler is a medicine that contains the active substance indacaterol. It is available as capsules containing a powder for inhalation (150 and 300 micrograms).

What is Oslif Breezhaler used for?

Oslif Breezhaler is used to keep the airways open in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a long-term disease in which the airways and air sacs inside the lungs become damaged or blocked, leading to difficulty breathing air in and out of the lungs.

The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.

How is Oslif Breezhaler used?

Oslif Breezhaler capsules are only used with a Oslif Breezhaler inhaler and must not be swallowed. To take a dose, the patient places a capsule into the inhaler and breathes the powder in through the mouth.

The recommended dose is one 150-microgram capsule, once a day at the same time each day. A dose of one 300-microgram capsule may be used in cases of severe COPD, but this must only be done on the doctor’s instructions.

How does Oslif Breezhaler work?

The active substance in Oslif Breezhaler, indacaterol, is a beta-2-adrenergic-receptor agonist. It works by attaching to beta-2 receptors that are found in the muscle cells of many organs and that cause the muscles to relax. When Oslif Breezhaler is inhaled, indacaterol reaches the receptors in the airways and activates them. This causes the muscles of the airways to relax, helping to keep the airways open and allowing the patient to breathe more easily.

How has Oslif Breezhaler been studied?

In three main studies involving over 4,000 patients with COPD, Oslif Breezhaler at different doses has been compared with placebo (a dummy treatment), tiotropium or formoterol (other inhaled medicines used to treat COPD). The main measure of effectiveness was how Oslif Breezhaler compared with placebo in improving patients’ forced expiratory volumes (FEV1) after 12 weeks. FEV1 is the most air a person can breathe out in one second.

What benefit has Oslif Breezhaler shown during the studies?

Oslif Breezhaler was more effective than placebo at improving how well the lungs work in patients with COPD. On average, the improvement in FEV1 in patients who received Oslif Breezhaler was between 150 to 190 ml, while for patients who received placebo the change in FEV1 ranged from a decrease of 10 ml to an increase of 20 ml. Overall, the effects of the 150- and 300-microgram doses of Oslif Breezhaler were similar, but the results showed that the 300-microgram dose may provide better relief in patients with more severe disease.

What is the risk associated with Oslif Breezhaler?

The most common side effects with Oslif Breezhaler (seen in between 1 and 10 patients in 100) are nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the nose and throat), upper-respiratory-tract infection (colds), sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), dizziness, headache, chest pain, cough, oropharyngeal (mouth and throat) pain including throat irritation, rhinorrhoea (runny nose), muscle spasm (cramps) and peripheral oedema (swelling, especially of the ankles and feet). For the full list of all side effects reported with Oslif Breezhaler, see the package leaflet.

Oslif Breezhaler must not be used in people who are hypersensitive (allergic) to indacaterol, lactose or any of the other ingredients.

Why has Oslif Breezhaler been approved?

The CHMP decided that Oslif Breezhaler’s benefits are greater than its risks and recommended that Oslif Breezhaler be given marketing authorisation.

What measures are being taken to ensure the safe use of Oslif Breezhaler?

The company that makes Oslif Breezhaler will ensure that doctors who are expected to prescribe the medicine and pharmacists in all Member States are provided with a card containing information on how the medicine is used.

Other information about Oslif Breezhaler:

European Commission granted a marketing authorisation valid throughout the European Union for Oslif Breezhaler on 30 November 2009.

For more information about treatment with Oslif Breezhaler, read the package leaflet (also part of the EPAR) or contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Source: European Medicines Agency

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. This information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States. The absence of a warning for a given drug or combination thereof in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. If you have questions about the substances you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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